Clothes-wringer



010 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. WHEELER, Jr.

CLOTHES WRINGER N0.'459,343. Patented Sept. 8,1891;

Invenioa @Ww W Wz'ineded g/M n Q @M/W- (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. 0. WHEELER, Jr. CLOTHES WRINGER Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

(No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. WHEELER, Jr. CLOTHES WRINGER.

No. 459,343. Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

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nmmmmmmhunmn 6' fizvenioo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

OYRENUS XVHEELER, J R., OF AUBURN, NElV YORK.

CLOTH ES-WRINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,343, dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed August 16, 1888. Serial No. 282,946]. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OYEENUs WHEELER, Jr'., a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Auburn,in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Olothes-Wringers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes-wringers in which U-shaped springs are utilized for carrying the rollers and placed at either end thereof, said U-shaped springs being suitably connected'by a lateral framepiece and the whole supported by suitable clamping-pieces placed at either end of the whole; and the object of my improvement is to provide means whereby the speed of the rollers may be increased or diminished in this style of machine by a suitable system of spur-gearing as the exigencies of the case may require and at the pleasure of the operator.

I attain my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings on three sheets, in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the entire clothes-wringer.- Fig. 2 is an elevation of the rear end of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the clothes-wringer, drawn to 'afull-size scale. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the front or gear end of the clotheswringer. vation of the front or gear end of the clotheswringer. Fig. 6 is an end View of the smaller intermediate gear. Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the front end of the clothes-wringer with the gearingtrain removed. Fig. 9 is avertical section of Fig. 8 through the line 00, looking in the direction of the arrow m. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the front end-stand and connecting link-piece. Fig. 11 is a front view of the front end stand. Fig. 12 is a front view of the rear end stand. Fig. 13 is an end view of the connecting link-piece. Fig. 14 is a plan View of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the bearing-thimble at the rear end of the shaft of the upper roller, taken through the line :0 m of Fig. 16. of Fig. 15.

Similar lettersrefer to similar-parts thro ughout the several views.

The U-shaped springs A A are formed of the shape shown in Fig. 2 and placed at either Fig. 5 is a front ele Fig. 16 is an upper plan view I end of the rollers B B. They are held in adjustment by a lateral connecting-piece O, and secured at the ends thereof by upwardly-projecting threaded spindles D D of the clamping-pieces E E, which pass through suitable holes provided in the lower branches of the U-shaped springs A A in either end of the lateral connecting-piece O and in the stands F G, the whole being held together in desired working position by means of the nuts H H, which screw onto the said upwardly-projecting threaded spindles D D,as shown in Figs." 2 and 3.

The ends of the upper members of the U-shaped springs A A are downwardly curved, and the ends of the lower members of the same are upwardly curved, as seen in Fig. 2.

Between the ends of the rollers B B and the U-shaped springs A A are placed right and left hand guide-plates J J, which serve to prevent the fabrics manipulated from passing beyond the ends of the rollers B B. These guide-pieces J J, constructed substantially after the form shown in Fig. 2, are provided near their upper ends with holes, through which pass the ends of the shaft L of the roller B, and near their lower ends with slots K, through which pass the ends of the shaft M of the roller B. By means ofthe slots K near the ends of the guide-plates J J the rollers B B are thus allowed afree separation during the operating of the clotheswringer.

The clamping-pieces E E are for the purpose of securing the clothes-wringer in working position on the side of the tub or other vessel used.

On the crank or front end of the shaft L of the roller B and on the outer side of the U- shaped spring A is keyed or otherwise secured the spur-gear M, and upon the crank or front end of the shaft M of the roller B is keyed or otherwise secured the spur-gear O, which is of a size similar to the spur-gear N, already mentioned, and in line with it.

The stand F is provided at its foot with lips P P, which serve to assure it of its position on the lower member of the U-shaped spring A at the front end of the wringer, with outwardly-extended studs Q R, with an inwardly-extended stud S, and with a laterally and inwardly projecting piece T, through, which screws the threaded bolt W, the object of which will be presently described.

On the inwardly-extended stud S is carried one end of the link-piece U, which is held in position by means of a suitable pin passed through the end of the inwardly-extended stud S. The other end of the link-piece U passes on the shaft L of the roller B and is provided with flanges V V on either side, whereby a seat is formed for the downward curved end of the upper member of the front U shaped spring A, as clearly shown in Fig. 10.

The stand G is provided at its foot with lips P P, which serve to assure it of its position on the lower member of the rear U-shaped spring A. At the top it is turned at a right angle into a projecting piece T, through which screws the threaded bolt WV, the object of which is similar to that of the threaded bolt NV and will be presently described.

Upon the rear end of the shaft L of the roller B is passed a thimble-bearing X, which is provided with flanges Y Y at either end, whereby a seat is formed for the downwardlycurved end of the upper member of the U- shaped spring A. To prevent the thimblebearing X from turning with the shaft L of the roller B, it is furnished with a lug Z, which projects rearwardly and abuts against the under surface of the upper member of the U- shaped spring A, as clearly defined in Fig. 2.

To prevent the U-shaped springsAA from pressing the surfaces of the rollers B B against each other to their detriment when the clotheswringer is not in use, the threaded bolts WV and W already described are brought into action by being screwed up, their points hearing against the under surfaces of the upper members of the U-shaped springs A A, and

. thus limiting the degree of pressure between the surfaces of the rollers B B.

On the outwardly-extended stud Q of the stand F and freely rotating thereon is placed the smaller intermediate spur-gear a in alignment and engagement with the spur-gear N of the shaft L. The said intermediate spurgear a is held in working position on the extended stud Q by means of a suitable pin 19, which is provided for the purpose. The outer face of the intermediate spur-gear a is furnished with a disk 0, (see Figs. 6 and 7,) which has formed upon its outside face spurs d d. Similar and uniform spurs 0e are also formed on the outer face of the spur-gear 001? the shaft M, the object of said spurs d cl and e e being to afford means for engagement with the hub of the operating hand-cranky, which is provided with suitable notches for their admission.

On the outwardly-extended stud R and rotating freely upon it is placed an intermediate spur-gear g of suitable size, which is also placed in alignment and engagement with the smaller intermediate spur-gear a, and also in alignment and engagement with the spur gear 0 of the shaft M of the roller B, and which is assured of its position on the outwardly-extended stud R by means of a suitable pin It, provided for the purpose.

The outwardly-extended stud Q of the stand F as well as the shaft M of the roller B are sufficiently extended for the placement on either of the hub of the operating hand-crank f. It will thus be seen that the said operating hand-crank f may be used to operate directly either the larger spur-gear O of the shaft M or the smaller intermediate spur-gear a of the outwardly-extended stud Q of the stand F. By this appliance of parts the same means are in either case used for imparting a greater or less speed to the rolls B B, as desired, the operating hand-crank f in either case being assured of its working position by means of a hand-pin i, which passes through the outer ends of either the extended stud Q or the shaft M. When a greater rate of revolution is desired for the rolls B B, the operating handcrank f is placed on the shaft M and its hub engaged with the spurs e e of the spur gear-wheel O, which engaging with the intermediate gear g, which engages with the smaller intermediate spur-gear a, which in turn engaging with the spur-gear N of the shaft L of the roller B, thus imparts the proper reverse motion to the said roller B. When alesser rate of revolution is desired for the rolls B B, the operating hand-crank f is passed on the outwardly-extended stud Q and its hub engaged with the spurs d d of the disk 00f the smaller intermediate spur-Wheel a, the said smaller intermediate spur-wheel a engaging with the spur-gear N of the shaft L and also engaging with the intermediate spur-gearg of the outwardly-extended stud R, which latter, engaging with the spur-gear O of the shaft M of the roller B, serves thus to impart the required lower rate of revolution in the proper direction to both the rollers B B of the clotheswringer. The advantages derived from this arrangement of parts, by means of which greater or less speed is imparted to the rollers, are obvious. Thus when large fabrics are manipulated they are more easily passed between the rollers when the lower rate of speed is applied by the engagement of the operating hand crank with the spurs of the smaller intermediate spur-gear and with comparatively no greater expenditure of power than when a higher rate of speed is desired by the engagement of the operating hand-crank with the spurs of the spur-gear on the shaft of the lower roller when it is desired to pass the smaller fabrics more quickly between the rollers. It will readily be seen that a child may thus be enabled with equal facility to manipulate large and small fabrics between the rollers with like ease and expenditure of manipulative power.

I am aware that U-shaped springs such as I have shown and described, together with stands carrying bolts for securing a release of the pressure between the surfaces of the rollers, have heretofore been in use. To these devices I make no claim; but

hat I do claim is 1. In a clothes-wringer, the combination of the rollers, the U springs supporting the rollers, the gear-Wheels affixed to the projecting ends of the roller-shafts, the two fixed axles at the end of the wringer, the two gearwheels of diiferent sizes supported by and free to turn upon the said fixed axles, arranged to mesh with each other and with the gears on the roller-shafts, the link connecting the shaft of the upper roller with the upper one of the fixed axles, and the crank adapted to be interchangeably secured to either the gear-wheel of thelower roller or to the smaller intermediate gear-wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a clothes-wringer, the combination,

with the U-spring A, of the stand F,provided with the studs Q R S and the screw-bolt W, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a clothes-Wringer, the combination of the rollers, the U-springs, the stand F at one end of the Wringer, the train of gear-wheels connecting the roller-shafts, and the linkpiece U, mounted upon a stud projecting from the said stand and having a flanged tubular portion in which the end of the upper-roller shaft rests and upon which one end of the U- spring bears, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of August, A. D. 1888. 5

CYRENUS WHEELER, JR.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. RATHBUN, MARY A. lVIORRIS. 

